Lens mount means for motionpicture projectors



May 9 1950 J. WIENKE LENS MOUNT MEANS FOR MOTION-PICTURE PROJECTORS Filed Feb. 15. 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet l fizz/enlar'" [mil wievze May 9, 1950 J. WHENKE LENS MOUNT MEANS FOR MOTION-PICTURE PROJECTORS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 15, 1946 9 J. WEENKE LENS MOUNT MEANS FOR MOTION-PICTURE PROJECTORS Filed. Feb. 15, l946 4 Sheets-Shem 3 \Q i QM/MN f g 5 J, WENKE, I LENS MOUNT MEANS FOR MOTION-PICTURE PROJECTORS Filed Feb. 15, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 W P8 W V w Y 1\ $35 NMW j; A@& A 5 K \5 ill l mm 1% EB Patented May 9, 1950 LENS MOUNT MEANS FOR MOTION- PICTURE PROJECTORS Emil J. Wienke, Glen Ellyn, Ill., assignor to Motiograph, Chicago, 111., a limited partnership of Illinois Application February 15, 1946, Serial No. 647,937

14 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in the lens mount of a motion picture projector whereby the lens barrel may be positioned and locked in place with extreme accuracy and thereafter adjusted or focused with a minimum amount of difiiculty.

It is a purpose of the invention to provide a novel unit construction whereby the lens mount, a support for the film track and aperture plate, and a tension shoe support are carried upon a single assembly base which is fastened to the projector housing, the construction being such that the several parts mentioned may be taken out of the projector housing as a unit with a minimum amount of difficulty. This construction contemplates guide tracks for both the lens mount and the tension shoe support whereby one guide track is fixed for both the shoe support and the lens mount, and opposed guide tracks separately adjustable are provided for the tension shoe support and the lens mount.

' It is also a purpose of my invention to provide an improved focusing mechanism for the lens -which embodies an adjustable stop in the wall of-the lens mount for the lens barrel which, when the dens barrel is once inserted and. locked in place makes it unnecessary to further touch the ;lens barrel or to change the position of the lens with respect to the barrel. The construction conitemplates also, a simple screw adjustment by :which the lens barrel mount can be moved along accurately positioned guide shoes, the screw being journaled in the projection housing and threaded through .a lug on the lens mount.

It is a further purpose of this invention to provide a novel lens barrel lock for lockin the lens barrel in the lens mount so as to insure accurate alignment of the lens barrel. The construction is such that the lock can be operated from the exterior of the projector by an operating rod so that once the barrel is positioned against the stop in the lens barrel mount, it can be wedged in place to prevent any possibility of its moving thereafter.

It is a further purpose of my invention to provide a novel lens ejector device by which the lens barrel may be ejected from the mount.

The nature and advantages of my invention will appear more fully from the following description and the accompanying drawings Wherein a preferred form of the invention is shown. It should be understood however, that the drawings and description are illustrative only and are 'not to be taken as limiting the invention except insofar as it is limited by the claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the as- -:sembly base lens mount and tension shoe support together with the film aperture plate and .cooperating parts,

Figure 2 is a plan view of the mechanism shown in Figure l, certain parts being left out for clearness, and the projector housing being shown in section,

Figure 3 is an end view of the lens mount as viewed from the right hand end of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 44 of Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figure 4 (showin in addition the spring for advancing the tension shoe support which is slightly above the section line 5--5) Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 66 of Figure 7 and showing the lens lock,

Figure '7 is a sectional View on the line 1-1 of Figure 1,

Figure 8 is a sectional view on the line 8-8 of Figure 1, and

Figure 9 is a fragmentary view in side elevation of the assembly base for the lens mount and the tension shoe support.

Referring now to the drawings, my invention is applied to a motion picture projector and is particularly concerned with the parts of the projector which mount the lens and the tension shoe which presses the film against the aperture plate. As shown by Figures 1 and 2, the aperture plate mechanism Iii, the film tension shoe support H, and the lens mounting and adjusting mechanism [2 are all carried by an assembly base casting l3. Since the details of the aperture plate mechanism and of the tension shoe operating mechanism are covered by separate applications, they will not be described herein. However, the base casting l3 provides guide means for movably supporting the tension shoe support and the lens barrel mount so that they may be moved toward and away from the aperture plate with no danger of getting out of line. The assembly base is secured to the projector housing It by a series of four screws l5. (See Figure 9.) The housing has two spaced pins l6 (see Figure 5) which are utilized to align the base casting 13. The casting is provided with accurately milled recesses I! to receive the heads of the pins 16 as a further means of insuring accurate alignment of the base castmg.

Referring now to Figures 8 and 9, particularly, the casting i3 has a top flange it against which I mount an inverted V-shaped guide 59, the guide being held in place by screws 25. At its lower edge, the casting it has another flange 2| over which two V-shaped guides 22 and 23 are mounted. The guides 22 and 23 are clamped to the base 13 by screws 24 and 25 respectively. It will be noted from the drawings, and particularly Figure 8, that there is a slight amount of play of the screws Zfi-M and 25 in the guides l922 and 23, so that the guide Hi can be positioned solidly against the flange l8, and the guides 22 and 23 can be adjusted'slightly to hold them in position at the proper distance from the guide I9. The guide 22 supports the lens barrel mount while the guide 23 supports the film tension shoe support, and in the event that one should wear more than the other, the separate individual ad: justment will take care of them. i I

The lens barrel mount comprises a shell 26 which has two guide lugs 21 and 28 thereon. (See Figure 7.) These lugs have V-shaped portions 29 and 35 respectively which portions are accurately machined to engage the V-shaped guides l9 and 22.

I The shell 216 also has a depending lug 3! (see Figures 4 and '7) which is apertur ed to receive a rv Q scr 62.- he screw 32 i hr a d and within the lug 3! a spring pressed threaded b ck 3.3 s oun ed to en a e h ea of the screw 32. The lug 3! has an aperture ,34 fQI'fthQ threaded block, and the aperture is eX- tended upwardly into the lug to provide space for spring 35 that furnishes the tension on the screw .32 to maintain the focusing screw in any desired adjustable position. The'focusin'g screw is mounted 'in a circular cap 35 which is mounted on the projector housing by screws 31 so that it .c'a 'b'e easily removed. This cap has aboss at 38, andthe screw 32 has two collars 39 and '45 thereon the boss being apertured for the screw to pass through it, and the collars being mounted to engage the opposite machined faces of the boss. A knurled head 4| is provided on the'screw 32.

Theflens mount 26 has two inwardly projecting shallow ribs 42 and '43 which are machined tp provide a guide surface for a lens barrel 44. The lens mount also has a slot 45 in the side opposite the lugs 27 and Z8. Thisslot serves to mount an adjustable lens barrel stop 46.

. a'nd aneck portion '48 riding in the slot. A head "'49' ehgages the outer faces of the lens mount around the "slot 145, and a screw 59 is threaded into the "stop'dfi so as to clamp the head 49 in pos t n T e uhc n o e sto 'i -to pr vide a means of presetting the lens barrel 44 i with respect to the lens mountflfi, so that'when the lensbarrel is inserted against the stop and flocked in place, there is no further necessity to disturb the lens barrel since the focusing is there- "afte r done by moving the entire lens mount. If

it becornes necessary at anytime to remove the lens barrel, the lock, which will hereinafter'be describedQis released so that the barrel can be taken out, and when'itis replaced the stop will serve to accurately position it again without further adjustment also has a lug 55 projecting outwardlytherefrom, and this lug is apertured to receive a screw threaded rod 5'! by which the slide52 is operated. Two collars 58 and 59 are 'pinnedto the rod 5'! so as to prevent endwise play of the rod with respect to the lens mount. The threaded end of the rod extends through the lug :54 which The sto has a flange 47 on the inside ofthe slot 45,

4 is threaded to receive it. The other end of the rod 51 extends through a boss 50 in the cap 36. A knurled head 5] is provided on the rod 51 for rotating it. When the lens barrel is placed in the mount 26, and shoved against the stop pin ,45, it can be readily locked in place by turning the rod 5'! to move the slide 52 to the right, as in Figure 6. This will clamp the lens barrel solidly against themac-hined surfaces of the ribs 42 and 43, and hold the lens barrel in place.

In order to facilitate removal of the lens barrel, I provide an ejector strip 52 which is shown best in Figures 2, 4 and '7. This ejector comprises an elongated U-shaped metal strip which has an upturned end 53 and a downturned end 54 The 'downturned end 64 hooks over the forward end of the lens barrel in the mannershown in Figure 4. A strap 65 is secured on the lens mount 21% so as to overlie the ejector 62. When it is desired to move the lens out the operator may push the projection 53 to the-right as shown in Figure 4, and this will cause the :lens barrel to move to the right until the projection 53 strikes the strap 55. The barrel is then far enough out to be readily grasped by the hand. The ejector of course must be long enough to accornm odate all the adjustments of the lensbarrel within the lens mount. The cap 35 is cutaway as -show l'i at 56, to permit the ejector to move through it and to permit the lens mount to move through it to the extent required for the full range of adjustment of the lens mount.

The lens mount cooperates with the guides 19 and 23 in guiding the film tension shoesupport H toward and away from the film guide and aperture plate H3. As shownbest by'Figuresfi and'B of the drawings, the tensionshbesupport I l is carried by a bracket 8'? which has upper and lower V-shaped grooves "-68 and 65 therein. These grooves are oppositely disposed to the grooves in the guides 19 and '-23, sd -that a series of balls 15 maybe used to provide a roller hearing for the film tension shoe support. The bracket '61 has a' lug H thereon which extends through an aperture 12 that -is=-provided in the base casting i3. 'This lugforms a stop for a spring 13, and carries a pin 14 over which the end of the spring fits. The otherend of Ithe spring fits over a lug 15'that' is formed :at the end'of the "slot '12 out of the material'of thet'base cast-ingl-ii. "The spring 13 is under compression so that ittends to push the-film tension shoe support to the left as shown in Figured. The balls are held in place by suitable :end plates 16 andl'l on the-bracket 5?. The shoe support- H has'a tubular extension 18 and a sleeve member 19 is mounted on the casting 13-50 as .to. provide -a shield between the forward end of :the :lens

barrel and the film tension shoe. Thelensmount is open at its forward end :so that the member "l9 telescopes inside it as illustrated in Figure 5.

The film tension shoesuppjort a! l .isadapted-to be moved away from the film-track-and aperture unit it against the tension of'the spring 'l3:by a

rackBil (see Figures 1 and 18) which-is bolted to the bottom of the'bracket .fiigand a pinion 81.

of the stem 82 to hold the piece 85 in place. The hand piece 86 is threaded on the piece 85 and encloses the screw 89.

The pinion 8| can be locked in three positions against rotation by spring pressed pins 99 that are mounted in the boss 83 and backed up by springs 9|. A cover plate 92 holds the springs in place. The pinion 8| has an aperture 93 extending through it into which the pins 90 project to lock the pinion against rotation. In order to release the pinion for rotation, the part 85 carries a release pin 94 that extends into the aperture 93. In the forward or tension applying position of the film tension shoe support, the parts are positioned as shown in Figure 4, where the upper pin 90 is engaged in the aperture 93 of the pinion. Now by pressing in on the hand piece 86, the operator can cause the pin 94 to remove the pin 90 from the aperture 93, and then he can turn the hand piece 86 to the intermediate position, or the fully retracted position against the force of the spring i3, and then allow the pin 90, at the new position, to enter the aperture 93. In this way the film tension shoe support can be held in any one of three positions. this means for locking the film tension shoe support in closed and open position utilizes the closed and full open positions only. However, when a short focal lens is being used there is not sufficient room to back up the shoe support to its normal open position which would give the most desirable clearance between the film tension shoe and the film guide and aperture plate. In this case the intermediate position of the film tension shoe support can be used by removing the pin 99 from the outer opening and putting it in the middle opening to engage in the aperture 93 of the pinion.

It will be noted that the member 19, which is stationary with respect to the casting l3, has a downwardly extending lug 95 that extends rearwardly under a portion of the rack 89 where it is secured to the casting l3 by a screw 96. A similar projection 97 is formed on the member 19 and extends upwardly over the guide 19 where it is secured to the flange i8 by a screw 98.

Since all of the parts of the lens mount, the film tension shoe support and the film guide and aperture plate are carried by the casting l3, these parts may be assembled accurately and machined before mounting in the projector housing, and in the event of any damage to them the entire unit or either of the three parts may readily be replaced or repaired. The casting 13 provides a simple and effective means for offsetting the center line of the lens with respect to the center line of the film aperture to take care of film with a sound track. This feature is illustrated in Figure 5 of the drawings where the line A represents the center line of the lens while the line B represents the center line of the aperture plate. This offsetting is accomplished by providing a mounting surface on the casting l3 for the film guide and aperture plate unit ID, with sufiicient offset to take care of the desired offset of the lens center line with respect to the center line of the aperture.

The focusing of the lens, once the lens barrel has been properly set in the lens mounting, is simply accomplished by rotating the hand piece 4| to cause the lens mount and all the parts carried thereby to move along the guides l9 and 22. Since the guide I9 is the base or reference guide, and is at the top, the principal wear can be taken up very simply by adjusting the lower guide 22 The normal use of by means of the set screws such as that shown at 99. When the adjustment has been made, a lock screw I00 locks the set screw in place. In a like manner the guide 23 can be adjusted upwardly to insure alignment of the film tension shoe.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a motion picture projector, a supporting wall, an assembly base, aligning pins and slots in the wall and base, means clamping the base to the wall with the pins in the slots, a lens barrel mount, a lens barrel therein, a film guide and. aperture plate, a film tension shoe, a support for said shoe, means mounting the film guide and aperture plate on the assembly base at one end thereof, said base having upper and lower V- tracks mounted thereon for the lens mount and shoe support, cooperating V-shoes on the lens mount engaging said tracks, V-tracks on the shoe supports and ball bearings interposed between the V-tracks of the shoe and those of the base.

2. In a motion picture projector the combination of a plate adapted to be mounted in a projector housing and comprising an elongate assembly base, a lens barrel mount, a lens barrel therein, a film guide and aperture plate, a film tension shoe, a support for said shoe, means mounting the film guide and aperture plate on the assembly base at one end thereof, said base having upper and lower V-tracks mounted thereon for the lens mount and shoe support, cooperating V-shoes on the lens mount engaging said tracks, V-tracks on the shoe supports and ball bearings interposed between the V-tracks of the shoe and those of the base.

3. In a motion picture projector an elongated plate adapted to be mounted on a wall of a pro jector housing and having laterally extending flanges at its upper and lower edges said flanges having guide bar aligning surfaces thereon facing each other, guide bars aligned by said flanges and secured to the plate between said flanges and having guide surfaces thereon facing each other, a lens barrel mount comprising a shell having guide lugs provided with bearing portions held by said guide bars on the guide surfaces thereof, and means on one of said flanges for moving the guide bar thereon toward and away from the other guide bar.

4. In a motion picture projector an elongated plate adapted to be mounted on a wall of a projeotor housing and having laterally extending flanges at its upper and lower edges said flanges having guide bar aligning surfaces thereon facing each other, guide bars aligned by said flanges and secured to the plate between said flanges and having guide surfaces thereon facing each other, a lens barrel mount comprising a shell having guide lugs provided with bearing portions held by said guide bars on the guide surfaces thereof, and means for moving the shell lengthwise along said bars.

5. In a motion picture projector an elongated plate adapted to be mounted on a wall of a projector housing and having laterally extending flanges at its upper and lower edges said flanges having guide bar aligning surfaces thereon facing each other, guide bars aligned by said flanges and secured to the plate between said flanges, said guide bars having recessed guide faces thereon facing each other, a film tension shoe support including a bracket having recessed guide faces thereon opposed to the guide faces on the bars, and rolling bearing members between the opposed guide faces of the bracket and the guide bars.

7, the-path of the barrel.

6. :Ina motion picture projector an elongated plate adapted to be mounted on a wall of aprojection housing and having laterally extending flanges at its'upper and'lower edges, guide -.bars secured to the plate between said ,fianges, said guide bars having recessed guide faces thereon, a film tension shoe support including abracket having I recessed guide faces thereon opposed to the guide faceson the bars,androllingbearing members between the opposed guidefaces-the bracket and the plate having spaced apartlugs thereon and a spring mounted by :saidlugs for urging the bracket along theguide bars.

7. In a motion 'pictureprojector an elongated plate adapted to bemounted on awall of-a projector housing and having laterally extending flanges at its upper and lower edges, guide bars secured to the plate between said flanges, said guide bars having recessed guidef-aces thereon, a :film tension shoe support including .a bracket having recessedguide faces thereon opposed to the guide faces on the bars, and .rolling bearing members between the opposed guide facesspring means connecting the bracket and the plate-for urging the support in one direction and meansto move the support against the force of the spring and lockit, said last named means comprisingan operating handle operatively connected to the support and releasable lock means for said handle.

8. Ina motion picture projector anelongated plate adapted to .be mounted on a wall of a projector housing and having laterally extending flanges at its upper and lower edges, guide bars secured to the plateebetween said flanges, said guide bars havingrecessed guide faces thereon, a film tension shoe support including a bracket having recessed guide faces thereon opposedrto the guide faces on the bars, and .rollingbearing members between the opposedguide faces, Spring means connecting the bracket and the ,plate for urging the support in one direction and means to move the support against theforce of the spring and lockit, saidlast named meanscomprising arack on the support, arpinionimeshing therewith, an operating handle for said pinion and lock means controlled by the handle for preventing rotation of the pinion. V

9. In a motion picture projector .a housing. a lens barrel mount therein comprising .a shell mounted onthe housing for movement in a direction parallel to the light axis of the projector, saidshell having at least two circumferentially spaced lens barrel guides therein, a lens barrel slida'bly supported in said guides, one of the iguidescomprising a tapered wedge, said shell havsaid shell also having a 'slot therein extending lengthwise of 'the'barreland a stop pin adjustably mounted in the slot andprojecting inwardly into 11. In a motion picture projector a -housing;-a lens barrel mount therein comprising a shell mo n edon the r cu inafcr;mc ementine di ion para l o the light a is of h pr moter, said shell having at least tWo circnrnkrgntfilly spaced lens barrel guides therein, a lens barrel id b up o in s i u des one :cf t guides being adjustabletcwardthe barrelgtolock it against movement, a lug Ontheshelhaspring pressed threaded block-in the shell and afocusing screw journalled in the housing and extending through the shell and having threads operative-l3] engaging said blockior movingstheshell.

1.2. In a motion picture proieCtQna-YhQl SinE, a lens barrel mount therein comprising a ,shell mounted on the: housing for movementin adirection parallel .to the light axisof the'projector, said shell havingat least two cirQl mi-erentia-lly spaced lens barrel guides therein, alens barrel slidably supported in said guides, one of the guides being-adjustable toward. the barreltojoek it against movement-and a lens barrel: remover comprising an elongated U shaped 'metal strip slidably secured on the shell and having-an inturned end for engaging the inner end of the barrel.

13. In a-motion picture proj actor-a housing, a lens barrel mount therein comprising a ,shell mounted .on the housing for movement in aqdirection parallel tothe light axis of theprojector, said shell having at leasttwocireumierentially spaced lens barrel guides therein,- a ,lensbarrel slidably supported in .said guides, one of the guidesebeing adjustable toward the barrel to lock it against movement, a lug'on'the shell, a spring pressed threaded block inthe shellianda tqcusing screw iournalled-in the housing andext end-ing through the;- shell and having threads op latively engaging said block-for moving theshell, said shell also having an adjustable stop pin therein limiting the inward-movement ofthe barrel.

14. In amotion picture rojector,- the corn- .bination of an assembly-base. with. alens barrel ,mount, a, lens barrel therein,,-a film-guide aperture plate, a film tension :shoe, ,-a support for said shoe, means mounting, the film guide: and aperture-plate on the assembly; base-at one end thereof, said base, having anupperguidesur-face thereonrand two lower separateguide lbars thereon for the --lens mountand sh0e.;supper;t, p g ufrde lugs on the lens mount having bearingpertions :held by said guide. surface and :one of said ibais, said shoe support including a; bracket provided with guide .faces opposed to the upper guidesurface and :to the other guide .bar'rolling hearing membersinterposedsbetween said guide faces-and the guide surface and guide:banrespectively; and means individual to .eachybar for (adjusting the V guidebarstoward the guide-surface.

REFERENGES GITED Thejollowingreferences are of record in the file ofthispatent:

UNITED sTA-TEs; PATENTS Number Name Date 1,075,692 Cannock Q Oct. 14, ,1913 1,773,575 Din a gie, 1930 1,907,753 Dina ,May 9, 193. 2,029,938 .Newman, .--v-.--.-- Feb. 4, .1936 2,339,503 Miller Jancl8, 194A 2,330,829 .Eddy Jilly-31, 1945! 

